Adam Copeland officially marked the end of his 25-year career in WWE when he made his debut for AEW at WrestleDream earlier this month. He always called it home, and it was where he was always associated as a pro wrestler.
While rumored in advance, Copeland’s AEW debut was still memorable for the company, closing this inaugural pay-per-view. Since then, he has appeared on various episodes of Dynamite and Collision, including his victory against Luchasaurus in his first AEW match.
Despite the advance buzz, the move apparently caught some people off-guard, including Copeland’s friend and former WWE co-worker, Rey Mysterio. When speaking to The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Mysterio said that he didn’t see this happening because he thought Copeland would re-sign with WWE (h/t Fightful for transcription).
I was shocked. We had just spoken a week before that. Not that I expected him to tell me anything. We never had the time to even talk about what was next. I saw him in his last match, ‘we’ll be in touch.’ We call each other every now and then. Next thing you know, I didn’t even see, it was on social media the following day. ‘Did you see?’ ‘No, what happened.’ They showed me (his debut). ‘Wow, I didn’t see that coming.’ I imagine he has his reasons on why and I can’t wait to sit down and chop it up with him. It’s always good to have an option. At the end of the day, that was his decision. That’s what made him feel good, take it. I would say that about anyone who would have done it. The fact that we have a great connection doesn’t mean we can dictate what he should want or doesn’t want. Overall, it was shocking because I thought he was going to re-sign with the company or figure out what he wanted to do, whether movies, or stick around for some more time.
Mysterio also believed that Copeland would remain a lifelong member of the WWE.
Yes, I think that’s why it shocked so much. He was a home guy.
It appears that Mysterio is understanding with Copeland’s decision to leave WWE, but everything that happened still took him by surprise. Perhaps Copeland will return to WWE one day, but for now, he is thriving in AEW.